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Real World riding experiences, good and bad, of California Biker and Motorcycle Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., and other authors.
General Information and Motorcycle Product Reviews will also be posted here. If you wish to contribute to the this section section of the blog shoot us an email to law@norman-law.com.
The Biker and Motorcycle Lawyer Blog / Blawg, the Biker and Motorcycle Related Legal Articles Blog, the Motorcycle Safety Tips Blog, the Link Blog, the Motorcyle and Biker Ride Reports Blog, the California Personal Injury Lawyer, Attorney, Blog, and the Southern California Family Law Blog / Blawg is published by Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., and The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates, as an educational resource only. None of the material on this site is expressly or impliedly meant to provide legal advice to you in any way shape or form. Since the material on this site is provided for educational use only, and laws continuously change from time to time, the author of this website neither expressly nor impliedly warrants that any of the material provided on this website is accurate. If you have a legal issue we strongly suggest that you contact a lawyer in your State for a legal consultation. If you are in the State of California, you may contact The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates for a consultation on your matter. No attorney / client relationship shall be expressly or impliedly created between Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., or The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez and you, by the publishing of articles on this site, nor should you interpret that any such relationship has been created by the publishing of any content on this site.
All articles related to Biker Safety are provided for educational use only, and constitute expressions of opinions and advice of the author only. Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez and The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez shall assume no liability whatsoever for your reliance on any of articles contained herein, nor should you rely on said articles as statements of fact.
This year Memorial Day is on May 30, 2007, with the observance being on May 28, 2007.
As a proud veteran of the United States Air Force/ California Air National Guard, I wanted to remind all of my Blog readers that this upcoming weekend is Memorial Day weekend.
Memorial Day, which was originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those that have died in our nation’s service.
Some may think of Memorial Day as just another 3 day holiday weekend. This is not the case. Many men and women have given their lives so that this nation that we love can be free.
Even as I sit here typing this article; our nation is presently at war in Afghanistan, and Iraq. Proud young men and women of our nation’s bosom, are fighting, dying, and suffering wounds for their nation, and for you and your children.
Whether you are for, or against the wars we are now presently engaged in is not at issue this Memorial Day. What is at issue this Memorial Day is that we as a nation, and a people, support those who serve our nation, and sometimes give their lives, so that we may be free.
Only god knows the actual numbers of men and women who have died for our nation and our freedom. Our nation has fought conflicts from the war of Independence; The War of 1812; The Mexican-American War; The Civil War; The Spanish American War; World War I; World War II; The Korean War; The War in Vietnam; The Cold War; The Gulf War; The War against Terrorism, as well as many regional battles and conflicts.
When I drive by the Veterans Cemetery in West Los Angeles, I say a prayer for the brave souls that are buried there. There are many Veterans Cemeteries all over the nation and on foreign lands. The markers at these cemeteries represent the best that our nation had to give; men and women who gave it their all.
I ask each and every one of you to give thanks this Memorial Day, to those proud men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives for this nation, and so that we can be free.
I ask that you explain to your children what Memorial Day is, and that it is not just another 3 day weekend away from school.
This Memorial Day I would ask that you honor those who have died for our nation by remembering them, even through you may not know any of them. Our freedom comes from their sacrifice.
God Bless the United States of America.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
** Update 5/22/07 See Below!
** Update 5/25/07 See Below!
Well I finally took the plunge and installed my Hogtunes speakers today. These speakers are supposed to be vastly superior to the stock Harley Davidson speakers that come with the Harley Davidson Advanced Sound System.
You can check out the Hogtunes Speakers which are specifically designed for Harley Davidson Baggers by clicking here now.
I guess some would call this a simple installation, however for me, it was a new experience. I am a lawyer, not a mechanic. I really freaked myself out thinking about removing the front outer fairing on my Electra Glide for the first time, but I knew that in the end it would be a good learning experience, and that I would save tons of money rather than having a dealer do it.
I went to Sears to buy a really cool Craftsman socket screwdriver set that has 9 sizes of Torx bits, and a whole bunch of other bits, so I could remove the outer front fairing on my Electra Glide.
Before I started to remove the outer faring for the installation of the speakers, I put socks on the spot lights, and a soft cloth on the front fender to protect the paint on the faring and the fender, just in case it fell.
The front 3 screws on the outer front fairing use a number T27 Torx bit, and the inner 4 screws of the outer fairing use a number T25 Torx bit.
Before I proceeded to remove the fairing for the Hogtunes speaker install, I hit the kill switch on the bike so that the inner part of the fairing was not electrified. It is recommended that you disconnect the negative off of the battery before doing work; however, I knew the kill switch shortcut would work.
I just installed the Pro Pad Mini-Beast Air Horn on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide and all I can say is this little beast is truly LOUD!
You can check out the Mini-Beast Air Horn at the Pro Pad website by clicking here now. You can also check out the Mini-Beast air horn at another site by clicking here now.
This self contained unit will fit on most Harley Davidson motorcycles, and can be fitted to metric and other types of motorcycles. The most unique feature of this air horn which sets it apart from other air horns is the fact that the air compressor and horn are all contained in a stainless steel cover that is not much bigger than a stock Harley Davidson cow bell horn cover. This horn uses the stock horn button, which is to be expected on any aftermarket horn! I would never buy or install an aftermarket horn which did not use the stock motorcycle horn button.
Other types of air horn systems require you to mount trumpets or some other sounding device on the motorcycle somewhere, and then run an air hose from the trumpets to an air compressor. You then have to find a place on the motorcycle to mount or hide the air compressor, which is a hassle.
The Mini-Beast air horn is self contained in the stainless steel cover. Easy!
The other systems I looked at were also much bigger and take up too much room on the bike. I like the fact that the Mini-Beast not only fits in the stock horn position, but it actually compliments the looks of the big V-Twin engine in the Harley.
You may ask why I decided to put an air horn on my Harley; simple; stock motorcycle horns are basically worthless, especially at highway speeds. A loud air horn gives motorcyclist a LEGAL way of getting a cagers attention even with their windows rolled up, and even when they are on the phone. This is a way of getting noticed without having deafening and illegal loud open pipes on your bike.
I will tell you what, at 128 decibels this Mini-Beast will not only legally get cagers attention; it will shock them! Did I say this thing is loud……….
The installation of the Mini-Beast Air Horn was basically no problem at all because everything I needed to install the horn was contained in the package. The package contained the horn itself, which was pre-mounted in its own stainless steel cover, a wire harness, and large and small tie wraps.
It is not too often that you see a video commercial that is literally perfect. This commercial by Harley Davidson, which is provided courtesy of youtube.com is just that type of commercial. I have never seen a commercial that so captured the bikers way of thinking and living, than this commercial. It does not matter if you ride cruiser motorcycles or sport motorcycles, this video says it all.
I know it is probably corny as hell posting a video of a motorcycle commercial on the Biker Law Blog, but this is one that you have to see. It makes me want to jump on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide and ride right now. I guess I will just have to wait until later today to ride. This is going to be another great California riding weekend. I will see you all on the road this weekend, and remember; Be Safe, it is motorcycle safety month!
Enjoy, and tell me what you think!
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
**** June 7, 2008 Update: I have now ridden 1000's of miles in this saddle, and I highly recommend it. Although it does move you up and forward a bit, the trade-off for sheer comfort is well worth it. My passenger and I have never had a sore or numb butt with this seat. I give it a 9 out of 10!
I just installed a new Mustang Seat PN# 75537 on my FLHT Harley Davidson Electra Glide Standard. I knew before I purchased the seat that it does push you up and forward 1 inch from the stock seat position. I was given this information by Mustang themselves.
Let me start out by saying I have used Mustang single seat (rider/passenger) seats on 3 other motorcycles and loved them! I never had to break in a Mustang Seat, they always felt better than stock right off of the bat! I have always been a big fan of Mustang Saddles.
You can see the seat by I ordered by clicking here, and then scrolling down to PN# 75537.
My first impression of this seat is that either something is wrong with the seat, (defective) or something else is wrong. The seat just does not feel right, nor did it install correctly like my stock seat, and other Mustang Saddles that I have owned.
First off when I went to install the seat, the front lip that goes into the front slot closest to the tank, is not the same as on the stock Harley seat. The Harley Davidson stock seat has a straight up and down tab that goes straight down into the slot. On the Mustang seat there is a little lip, or tab that pushes under and up. It does not go on like the Harley Davidson seat which is basically straight down.
On this seat you are supposed to do a “firm downward chop” on the seat, while pushing the seat forward to get it to move up to the tank panel. Here is Mustangs Instructions for the seat.
I thought that I would lighten things up a bit on the Biker Law Blog by posting a Music Video by Audioslave. The song is called Show Me How To Live. The video is brought to us courtesy of youtube.com.
Who says a Law Blog has to be boring!
During my ride to the Laughlin River Run 2007, I had this song jamming on my Harley Davidson sound system, riding through the same kind of desert scenery as in the video.
As for me, this song just makes me want to jump on my Hawg and ride to Laughlin again. I am sure my fellow bikers will understand exactly what I am talking about!
Enjoy the music while you are reading the Biker Law Blog.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
As most motorcycle owners do, I am about to start some limited customization on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide. I have owned many motorcycles in the past and have done extensive customization on each.
The beautiful thing about the Harley Davidson Electra Glide is that it pretty much comes with everything a biker would want. I have already done some limited Customization. I have installed a Screaming Eagle Stage 1 kit, with Screaming Eagle Slip on Mufflers; a Harley Davidson Advanced Sound System; Kuryakyn Harley Davidson Cruise Boards for Engine Guards, and a Harley Davidson Easy Clutch. No bid deal, just the essentials.
However, after doing some recent long distance runs, and with a plan this summer to ride my Harley across country with my fiancé, I have decided to add a few more things to the Electra Glide to make the long trip even better.
For the new customizations that I am going to do, I will write an article on each install, and post links to high quality pictures that I will take as I install each component. Maybe in this way I can help some of you to do the same thing. I am going to be a thrill seeker and do all of my own work.
I have recently ordered a Mustang Ultra Regal one piece seat for rider and passenger; a Harley Davidson King Tour Pak (Vivid Black); a Harley Davidson removable bracket for the Tour pack, with the premium luggage rack, cylinder lock for the tour pak, and locks for the removable bracket. I am also going with a 2.5 inch Tour Pak relocate kit, which moves the Tour Pak back 2.5 inches. I also ordered a Harley Davidson antenna relocation kit that will allow me to use the same antenna when I remove the tour pak for local riding. I opted to keep the whip antenna for better reception.
Going a little bit further, I ordered Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grips which includes the throttle boss; Hogtunes front speakers to replace the stock Harley Davidson speakers; and a Mini-Beast air horn to replace the stock Harley Davidson horn.
I have never personally taken the fairing off of my Electra Glide so this should be a real fun project. I hear getting it back on straight is a nightmare.
So as I do my limited extra customizations, I will post articles about how each install went, and show pictures of the progress. The bike you see in the picture here will look a bit different. I am no mechanic; I am a lawyer. However, in the past I have been able to do some real complex installs and fixes on my motorcycles. I do not do Engine, Carburetion, or Transmission work, but I will try everything else. That is half the fun of owning a motorcycle!
UPDATE 5/16/07: Mustang Ultra Regal Seat Installed. Click Here for Review.
UPDATE 5/18/07: Mini-Beast Air Horn by Pro Pad Installed. Click Here for Review
UPDATE 5/20/07: Hogtunes Speakers Installed. Click Here for Review.
UPDATE 5/22/07: Kuryakyn Premium ISO Grip with Throttle Boss (Chrome) Installed. A review will be coming soon!
UPDATE 7/13/07 - 7/14/07: Harley Davidson King Tour Pak / Premium Luggage Rack / Lock Kit for Tour Pak / Detachable Tour Pak Bracket / Pillow Passenger Backrest Pad for Tour Pak installed. Click Here for Review.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
One of the largest Biker and Motorcycle Rallies in the west is the Laughlin River Run. You can check out the official website for the run by clicking here.
On Friday after a very rough week, I knew that I had to get away for some stress relief. My doctor has actually ordered me to take a vacation and to take it easy. He actually wrote me a prescription to take a one week vacation! Being a lawyer is a very stressful career choice to say the least, and I am a class AAA personality all the way. Suffices to say, I have not been able to get away from the office for a straight one week in a very long time. Saying that I care about my clients is an understatement!
For me the best stress relief of all is to do a very long motorcycle run. Getting on the open road and clearing the mind keeps a good lawyer sane.
Getting back to my decision to get away for some stress relief; I was contemplating riding to Mount Whitney which is the highest point in the contiguous 48 States, until I saw all of the bikers on the road headed for Laughlin. I instead decided to ride to Laughlin. What the heck right? It is not where you are going it is the ride that counts! This would be one of my famous 2 day runs with a one night stay.
I knew that every room even remotely close to Laughlin had already been sold out for many months prior to the event. Going to the Laughlin River Run website confirmed that everything in town was booked. I did not even bother to try the other online reservation sites, because I knew everything would be sold out! It did not matter because I knew that my favorite Motel 6 in Kingman, Arizona would have rooms. I got online and booked my room. I then called the front desk to confirm my online reservation. This Motel 6 has never let me down in over 10 years.
Kingman, Arizona is the best kept secret in Arizona. Most people literally just drive right by it on the Interstate 40 and not even realize it is there! For the past 10 years, maybe longer, I have always stayed at the same Motel 6 in Kingman, Arizona, while doing runs such as the 4 Corners Rally, now known as the Rally in the Rockies, Sturgis, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley Utah, and other runs in that direction. You can say that I am a creature of habit when it comes to certain things. The people in Kingman are all very nice, and there is a great restaurant right next door called Calicos that serves up some of the best old fashioned American food that you will ever want.